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dies in wreck By Michael Jones Geikowski, however, was not wearing a seat belt when she was driving southbound on South Airport Road in Briley Township around 12:15 p.m., and lost control of the 1991 Pontiac LeMans four-door, ac-cording to a Michigan State Police report from the Gaylord post. The vehicle then crossed the centerline and slid sideways onto the east shoulder, caused the vehicle to roll and hit a tree. Geikowski was ejected upon impact. Police reports indicated excessive speed may have been a contributing factor in the accident.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Rob and Renee Pray of Gaylord and Mary Beth Sanders of Virginia Beach, Va., announce the marriage of Corrie Erin Pray to Chris Paul Sanders, both of Virginia Beach. Corrie and Chris were married in a small private outdoor ceremony on June 26 in Virginia Beach. Corrie is a GED teacher for high-functioning students with Asperger's syndrome for SECEP (South Eastern Cooperative Education Programs), private tutor for a student with autism and an in-home caregiver for a child with multiple disabilities.

Nine young adults will receive certificates of completion when the Petoskey YouthBuild program hosts a ceremony to recognize its first graduating class at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, June 29, at the Crooked Tree Arts Center in Petoskey. Along with certificates of completion, each of the Petoskey YouthBuild students will receive a nationally recognized construction certification and OSHA safety certification. The students have also completed a total of more than 500 hours of civic service.

Faye (Thomas) Nelson, age 87, of Mount Vernon, Wash., passed away on March 19, 2005. Faye was born in Ansley, Neb., on July 30, 1917, to Roy and Nellie (Hewitt) Thomas. When she was 2 years old, she moved with her family to Alberta, Canada. Two years later they moved to Stanwood, Wash., and later they moved to Avon where she grew up. She married Carl A. Nelson on July 9, 1937. He preceded her in death on Dec. 9, 1999. Faye was a housewife and enjoyed making quilts for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

INDIAN RIVER - Inland Lakes Alternative Education offers students of all ages the opportunity to earn their high school diploma. Coordinated through Inland Lakes Schools, classes run from 6-9 p.m., Monday through Thursday, starting Monday, Sept. 8. "It's a great opportunity for adults to come back to school and earn their high school diploma in a comfortable setting with teachers to assist as much as needed," said Linda Moore, alternative education director. "Individualized conferences are held with each student so that they have an educational plan in place to graduate as soon as possible.

PETOSKEY -- The Petoskey site of YouthBuild Northwest will soon host an open house to give the community an opportunity to meet the students and see some of the projects they have been working on. The open house is planned for 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, March 5, at the YouthBuild office, 1601 Standish Ave., Petoskey. During the open house students will demonstrate some of the skills they have learned by building Adirondack chairs that will be available for sale to the public. The event will also include a light supper and door prizes.

PETOSKEY - A federally funded program to pay at-risk youth to educate themselves is in the works in northwest Lower Michigan. The YouthBuild program of Northwest Michigan Works! is intended to serve high school drop-outs with social or economic disadvantages by helping them achieve a GED and additional career training. The program is free and participants receive a weekly stipend. The 36-week program for Charlevoix and Emmet counties is designed for youth between 18 and 24 years old, who also meet at least one of the following criteria: low income, current or former foster youth, youth or adult criminal offender, youth with a disability, migrant farm worker youth, or child of an incarcerated parent.

Brett Thomas Racignol, 21, of Petoskey, passed away at his home in Petoskey on Dec. 11, 2002. Funeral service will be 11 a.m. Monday Dec. 16, at the First Christian Church in Petoskey. The Rev. Rex Kibler and Dennis Duggan will officiate. Interment will be in Greenwood Cemetery in Petoskey. Visitation will be 6-8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15, at the church. Brett was born May 2, 1981, in Petoskey, the son of David and Karen (Krusell) Racignol. He attended schools in Petoskey and graduated earning his GED. He also attended North Central Michigan College for a year.

United Way assistance By Hillary Dickerson With circumstances similar to countless others like her, Smith is strikingly candid about her daily struggles to pay the bills and provide for her 6-year-old twins, Curtis and Danielle. All she wants is to create some semblance of normalcy in all their lives. "Money doesn't buy us love," she said, "and that's what keeps the kids going. " Keeping that perspective in mind, Smith is the first to admit her road has been a bumpy one, full of twists and turns and life experiences she never would have expected.